Miscommunication
by Dirkje
Summary: You can't expect someone to know who you are without letting them know. You can't expect them to understand you. But the same goes the other way around. B26 26B Bel Fran
1. Chapter 1

A/N: It's long! :D:D:D

I hope you will all enjoy reading this and understand what the fuck is actually going on. It may not be clear. If so, I'd love to get your questions and answer them best I can! (Point is, in Bel's POV, that he kind of lies to himself half the time, in an attempt to suppress and repress all his negative feelings and memories, so that might be confusing when he switches between pretending to be fine to himself and being honest with himself. Just a heads up :P)

**Good luck, is what I actually wanna say XD. Also, please bear with the first 9 or so pages. It needs to be worked through, but the pace kicks up afterwards. So there! (9 out of 58 while I'm writing this, so it's worth it!)**

Not everything is going to be explained, so don't worry if you think you're missing something at some parts. It's possible that it's gonna stay that way XD.

Also, what Fran says is the only thing I actually want him to say (you'll probably know what I mean when you read it), but at the same time, if the atmosphere isn't conveyed right, it's fucking hilarious. So yeah. I'm really hoping I managed to convey the atmosphere XD. …but I don't think that I did. Any constr. crit. on _that_ would also be greatly appreciated.

On the other hand I kind of like that it's hilarious in the middle of something so serious and grave. I hope you guys can appreciate it. Constr. crit. still rocks. :D

It can be called AU-ish, because the characters are acting so differently because the situation is so different from the manga. This is my take on what these characters would be like in these situations, with the pasts I have in mind for them in this story. Obviously, that is different from their carefree psycho killing spree(s). So it's AU-ish, not OOC-ish. ! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or any of it's associated thingies.

Enjoy! This is my big project, so let's go!

* * *

Miscommunication

* * *

Chapter 1

_Sempai… don't do this. What-_

'Just stop struggling, froggy.'

Fran gasped quietly when he was pressed against the wall of one of the rarely used rooms in the Varia headquarters. Bel was pinning him there, all blonde maniacal prince in an all black outfit. The older male was supposed to be going out on a night-time mission right now, but instead he'd come across Fran and cornered him. The illusionist was convinced he had been looking for him. It was never an accident when his sempai found him somewhere secluded and by himself.

'Sempai, stop, don't-'

Two slender fingers pressed down on his lips, shushing him. Sempai's long, lanky but disturbingly strong body imprisoned him, trapping him possessively and demandingly. Fran felt his heartrate increase, scared of the looming presence. The smirk on his face wasn't showing any teeth, predatory as it was it scared the shit out of Fran.

'You're mine, froggy. All mine.'

Fran gasped again when his sempai pressed his hips more strongly into his, frightening him but also making him feel a conflicting hope. Bel's hands were planted firmly on either side of his head, showing off clear signs of dominance, caging him in. It was what Bel wanted to portray, when this happened. When they were like this. Fran had to look up to watch his face, almost had to tip his head back with how closely he was leaning over him. He didn't like that. He didn't like how it made his throat feel bare.

'_Mine_.'

Was hissed lowly, dangerously, and Fran felt cold shivers run up and down his spine. He was afraid, because he could never know what his sempai was going to do in these moments. Didn't know whether he was going to be gentle or harsh, didn't know for sure what he wanted. It was so impossible.

Fran could never understand, figure out what he really meant when he said Fran was his, his possession. He couldn't understand, because Bel never explained and he didn't dare ask.

The room was shrouded in shadows, adding to the dark threat the prince exuded. Fran swallowed with difficulty, staring up at those impenetrable blonde bangs, never able to stare past them. Waiting.

Bel leant down, towards him, and for a split second Fran thought he was going to be kissed. It shocked an electrical light through his chest and cleared his mind, but then the moment passed and his sempai had his face buried in the crook of his neck. Teeth bit down sternly on a large patch of skin, not breaking through, but the warning more than clear.

Fran whimpered openly, leaning the back of his head against the wall behind him as he stared up. He didn't really see the ceiling. All he could feel was the presence of his sempai, that demanded all of his attention and gave a dark warning at what was to come it he didn't give it all.

'Sempai-'

He choked out, his eyes growing warm with oncoming tears. He didn't understand. He just didn't understand.

Bel pressed his body fully closer, pressing a heat into Fran that wasn't his own but that he desired so dearly. But he could never have it. It wasn't safe, it wasn't healthy. It wouldn't be good for him. He was afraid of it because of that.

The older, more experienced assassin kept pressing closer, as if printing his mark onto him, his claim. Tempting him to give in.

But it wasn't really a tempt. It was a demand and if Fran didn't give in, it would not be good for him. It was always like this, every time Bel caught him. His very intent was both of something he wanted to give and of the threat if Fran were to not accept it.

It was so hard.

'Just give in, froggy.'

One hand left its post and trailed down Fran's side, caressing.

His voice was gentle when he wasn't using it to claim Fran as his. That's what it was always like. Fran didn't know what to make of it, what to do with it. It was so unpredictable. How could he know when his sempai would bite and when he would kiss?

Fran's breathing was heavy but shallow and he was trying to close his eyes and wish himself away from this place, away from his sempai who was breaking through his emotional barriers. Fran thought he knew what he felt, what he wanted, but Bel, Bel always made him change his mind, made him doubt and fear and wonder.

He just wanted so badly to give in.

But he couldn't.

He wouldn't!

The man suddenly growled, right into his ear and Fran inhaled sharply, bracing himself for what was to come.

'You're _mine_ you little frog!'

That hand shot up from his side, grabbing the collar of the illusionist's uniform and forcefully sliding him up against the wall, lifting him to eye-level. Fran's hands clung to Bel's forearm, trying to pull it away from his vulnerable throat but giving up and failing before truly trying.

'_Accept it_.'

Fran squeezed his eyes shut, trying to pretend he was anywhere else, just not there, but he knew it would do nothing. Bel never gave up until he got what he wanted, never stopped until the last drop was spilt. His pale fingers twitched around his sempai's wrist, trembling.

'P-Please,'

He whispered. He didn't think Bel would listen and it scared him half to death to even say anything, but he couldn't, he couldn't not try.

'Please what?'

The threat wasn't gone from his voice, but it was much less, lurking in the undertones. For some reason, he sounded genuinely interested, beneath the suspicion, and something else even,… but he could not understand what it was. Did he care about what Fran thought? It seemed very unlikely.

Fran swallowed thickly. His fingers tightened and loosened around his sempai's wrist, wanting to hold on, but scared of what would happen if he did.

The conflict was so tiring. It wore him out and broke him down. That's what it felt like anyway. But it wasn't the conflict between him and his sempai. It was the one within himself. It was as though he wanted this, wanted Bel to do these things to him, to be so near him. But why then, why was he so paralyzed by fear of him? Fran wanted- he wanted-

He let go, his hand shakily reached for the wide collar of Bel's black shirt. The tips of his fingers had almost brushed along the dyed fabric when he pulled back, not daring to after all.

All he wanted… He just wanted…

Bel caught his hand in its retreat and guided it back to his shoulder, to the collar he had tried to cling to. His fingers smoothed over the soft skin of Fran's hand, pressing it down emphatically for a moment.

Fran's green eyes widened, his breath stuttered.

What did this mean? Why was it okay to touch him?

'Please what, froggy?'

Fran tried to look away, to look at anything that wasn't Bel. It was impossible. His fingers twitched around the fabric of the black shirt. His sempai's skin was warm against his touch, almost burning his cold fingers. His mouth opened and closed, indecisive. The quivering of his entire body was uncomfortable and he wanted it to stop, but he couldn't make it stop.

'P-Please… Sempai… J-Just…'

His sempai leant closer, his grip on his collar not letting up in the slightest. His hot breath brushed along Fran's cheek and neck and made him shiver.

He was giving Fran time to form his answer.

Holding on to something solid was comforting, even though it was the older teenager's shoulder. Fran could feel the burning in his eyes, but the tears wouldn't come yet. He shifted his jade gaze down to the side. It was hard to look at his sempai when he was making him do something that showed how weak and powerless he really became in these moments. Not that his behaviour in these situations wasn't already the kind the Varia would have killed him for if they knew. Xanxus would shoot him instantly if he ever showed this side of himself where he could see it.

'J-Just be… Just b-be,'

His own choked exhale interrupted his words. He couldn't say it. Surely he couldn't say this.

But it was all he really wanted. It was the only thing that made him feel so scared of these encounters, the only thing that he really desired from the shadowy figure looming over him-

It was because the blonde assassin seemed to give off an air that said he could do whatever he wanted with him. That he could make him do things if he wanted to, could hurt him if he liked, and that Fran wouldn't be able to do anything about it. He didn't know why he felt this so strongly towards this person in particular. He was a powerful illusionist and could defend himself accordingly. So why was he so frightened of this one person?

With trembling lips and a shaky voice, Fran forced the words out of his mouth.

'P-Please… Just b-be, j-just be… b-be _g-gentle_.'

With his eyes squeezed shut tightly, he turned his face further away, the corners of his mouth pulling down. Those painfully hot tears burned a path along his eyelids, brimming there for a moment before flowing over and dropping onto his pale cheeks. He wasn't sure if they were from the humiliation or from the fear of how his sempai would use those words against him.

Silent breathing gusted along his jaw. The older teen was quiet and didn't move. Fran tried to sooth the weak feeling in his knees, hoping he had a chance at escape if his sempai decided to drop him.

Bel leant back. From the angle of his head, Fran assumed he was being watched. The corners of the man's lips were curling upwards slowly, the aura he radiated suddenly seeming lighter to Fran.

Bel brought his face close to his kouhai's, brushing their cheeks together before leaning back just far enough to look him in the eye. Slowly, he tilted his head and captured the younger teen's lips with his own.

Fran couldn't breathe anymore. His sempai's lips were so very soft and slow against his. Caressing, rather than taking. His weight was put back onto his feet. There were hands on his shoulders; they were holding him in place, but their weight was light.

See why he couldn't trust this man? He'd go from forceful to gentle in a split second, he couldn't be relied on. Fran would be in danger every single moment, with how weak he was around him! If he trusted him…

… Why was he being gentle? Fran had asked him to be, pleaded, in fact, but- surely that wasn't any motivation for this prince?

Fran refused to believe that this man would respond to that. It was stupid, of course he wouldn't. He was just doing whatever he felt like, whenever he felt like it. He wouldn't respect Fran's wishes, like the ones for him to stop. No. He couldn't trust this…

A hand was stroking through his mossy green hair, the other was rubbing his shoulder with a thumb. The way Bel was kissing him, the soft brush of his lips, the barely-there pressure. The feeling behind it that Fran thought he was sensing. That he couldn't possibly be sensing.

He couldn't help it when he whimpered when Bel put just a little more strength into the kiss. Despite this, despite how his sempai had previously used any and all responses to his touches as a consent to progress to unwanted levels of intimacy, nothing seemed to happen. The kiss remained chaste as it was, dry and almost distant compared to what he was used to, even though the caresses were making him feel weaker than they ever had before. It was just that Fran wasn't sure if it was a bad kind of weakness this time.

Fran didn't know how long it took until his mind had completely surrendered. The kiss was lasting forever and still, Bel made no attempt to deepen it, to go any further with anything. Fran was feeling a tight, tingling feeling in his chest somewhere too close to his heart for comfort.

He needed this. Oh God, he needed this.

When at long last Fran's trembling lips parted of his own will, that was the first moment he felt the tender swipe of a warm tongue. His breath caught in his throat and he opened his mouth wider. He wanted to feel that tingling tenderness closer, deeper within himself. He wanted to know if he could. Would his sempai keep acting like this?

His sempai's tongue rubbed at his lip, licked across it slowly. Fran understood this even less than the frightening behaviour, but this was good, so it didn't matter as much. It wasn't forcing him into anything he didn't want, it wasn't making him wonder if he would be injured or abused. It was making him melt.

Tenderly, so impossibly _tenderly_, Bel slipped his tongue into his mouth, still slow and gentle like nothing Fran had dared to hope. Fran was unconsciously leaning his weight forward, into his sempai. The rarity of these warm touches was making him eager for more.

Too soon, Bel drew away. A small 'ah' escaped Fran and he tipped forward, after him, longing for more. A soft chuckle weaved through the air and strong hands caught his weight and held him upright.

It was that. That was what Fran wanted, the only thing that had kept him afraid of accepting and acting upon his own feelings. That gentleness that hadn't been there before.

Well… not at his request. And he had never dared to ask such a thing before…

The older teen lowered his head to the crook of his neck, nosing along the tense muscles there.

'Please be gentle…?'

His voice had a questioning lilt towards the end. Fran could practically hear the cogs in his head turning, could hear him figuring out what he was thinking. It was one thing that Bel was messing with his inner thoughts, but it was another, uncomfortable and embarrassing, that he would figure that mess out.

Bel's mouth curled up into a satisfied smirk. He pressed his lips against the skin in between Fran's jaw and ear, kissing softly along his jaw until he reached his mouth. His hot breath hit Fran's trembling lips; he pecked them swiftly and softly.

'You want me.' He breathed out only barely, his smooth voice gleeful but low, breathless.

Fran's glittering eyes snapped open.

What? No! How had he reached _that_ conclusion?

'You do. You're just afraid that I'll hurt you.'

Just? _Just?_ As though it was nothing! As though he was harmless in reality, not an unstable assassin who took up killing as a _hobby,_ _beside_ his job! As though he wasn't snarling at Fran's throat all the time, didn't attack him whenever he felt like it!

The anxiety was surging back into his body. For some reason, the moment his sempai stopped paying such pointedly safe attention to him, it all returned. As if he was more scared of losing it then of getting it-

Fran did _not_ want him! _He_ _did not_!

His stuttering heart was telling him differently. Even his own mind couldn't delude him any more.

Bel's shadowy features hovered in front of his face, a mere inch away.

'Froggy…'

His sempai breathed along his face, that strange tone in his voice and he leant forward again and buried his face in his neck. Fran felt himself weaken again and swallowed. He couldn't stop the small sound low in his throat when Bel opened his mouth and washed his skin with hot kisses, pressing himself close, but only a little.

Still gentle.

Still seemingly mindful of Fran's wish.

Fran felt his indecisiveness tire him, corner him. The conflict between the conviction that this was something he didn't want and Bel's actions, that made him feel just _how much_ he desired it, was hardly a conflict anymore. It was too obvious that he did in fact want it. Needed it. But it was just- How could he give in to such a thing? Wasn't that horribly dangerous? He would have to give himself to the other, would have to trust them with himself! He hardly trusted himself with himself… Would he be able to keep himself safe if he gave in? Did he dare to react openly, to lay himself open so vulnerably?

…Wouldn't Bel ridicule him for the way he responded? Needy and wanting… So, not above him in any way. That meant, he would have to show that he didn't think he was above the other, which would let _them_ be above _him_ and if Bel did that, if he used his power over Fran to hurt him and didn't care, no matter what the situation really, he wouldn't… Fran wouldn't be able to…

To what?

He wouldn't be able to care about him, because anybody that hurt him, he couldn't allow himself to care about. That would make him weak and useless, because he would allow them to damage him without defending himself. If he cared for another, who didn't make him stronger but tore him down instead, he would- he would keep walking around like that, without finding someone good to follow… But why did he want to follow someone? Shouldn't he want to be a strong, independent person who didn't care about other people at all? Wasn't that the only way to live life the right way?

But humans, humans were herd animals. They had the instinctive urge to group together, to be social. So didn't that mean that it was okay for Fran too, to like to be with other people? To want to be with other people? To need them, even? Surely that wasn't allowed. Surely that wasn't perceived as the right way of living. He had to be a strong person, otherwise he would be useless to the world and then nobody would want him, nobody would want to help him if he needed it. No, …

But he didn't like that. It definitely didn't make him happy. He constantly felt conflicted, because what he really wanted, if he wouldn't feel so embarrassed and scared of the responses he'd get all the time, was… was… people. Intimacy. He wanted to have someone he needed. But…

But he would die if he did. If he counted on others, no, if he let them be so important to him, then his life would be intertwined with theirs, and-

That couldn't be right. That couldn't be safe, it couldn't be the way he was supposed to do things. His family, the Varia, wouldn't- wouldn't respect him. Wouldn't want him to be around, but that wouldn't be the worst. They would, they would bully him, mock him and dislike him and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. He couldn't do anything about people not liking him. They would become people he cared about that hurt him.

That sounded so childish, so stupid and immature. He shouldn't be thinking like that, right?

He wasn't allowed to follow his heart in this, right?

It was just that he had been too _scared_ to follow his heart up until now. Regardless of what others would think of him, it was the fear of caring about another person again. He didn't want to care about someone and find out he couldn't make it right, couldn't make it last. Or couldn't get it to begin with. Friends, family, lovers… Either of those relationships had broken, had fallen out of his grasp or been rejected before they could be built. It was his fault, and his fault alone. He was incapable, he wasn't good enough, he didn't have what it takes to be so basically human.

But he was, he was human. He knew he was.

He probably didn't have to think that way, it was probably not his fault at all. They just weren't the right people for him or the other way around, it just didn't work out because they didn't get along, it wasn't because of some sort of fundamental lack that made him defective as a human being. He probably wasn't really weird. He probably wasn't really crazy, or different in a bad way, or a freak.

He probably wasn't unlovable.

It probably wasn't his fault. Probably wasn't his fault he was born, not a bad thing that he had been. Probably not something he ought to make up for, or had to make up for. He could probably let that all go and just live his life the way it made him happy to.

Probably.

But was it really?

Wouldn't he be punished or really unlucky if he let himself believe that, like it wasn't his right to be happy, so he wasn't allowed to, try to, be? That fate would make him lose whatever he had that made him happy, so that he would once again be plunged into unhappiness, because that's what he deserved, and all he deserved? Wouldn't he be screwed over if he tried, and especially if he finally got it?

He didn't want to go through that. He really didn't.

He didn't want to go through that intense despair again.

Would he be able to make it work this time? Would he be allowed to?

It would make him so happy if he could be with his sempai. If he wasn't scared it would drop out of his hands just when he started to relax and enjoy the situation. Had a chance at loving his life and enjoying it, not having to worry about losing it and more importantly, that which made it living instead of suffering. Feeling so guilty. Guilty for wanting to be happy. Guilty, because it was his fault that he had even existed when he was younger and was now clinging to life. That he hadn't tried to be someone else that would fit in with the others. With everything.

One that would be normal.

He couldn't be normal. He just couldn't do it. But maybe he had the wrong idea of what normal was, and he didn't even have to be that way. Or try to be, despite the fact that he couldn't. Maybe he was just okay the way he was.

He hoped so. He was working on believing that. He would be okay. He would believe it some time. Yeah.

But did Bel think it was okay if Fran was just Fran? If he dropped all the masks and stopped trying to be tougher than he was, stopped trying to be better than he was, and untouchable?

He had to.

Please.

But he wouldn't find out from theorizing. He would have to get Bel to show him.

'Sempai. Sempai…'

Bel cocked his head curiously, making his shadowy blonde bangs shift. He hummed inquiringly.

Fran straightened his back, slipped his arms around his sempai's neck. He shoved all fears aside. They could catch up with him later, right now he was going to do what he wanted. Going to try to fix his life with something good and screw the consequences.

He felt the older teen stiffen in surprise. He gazed straight at where he hoped Bel's eyes were and let his fingers roam the back of his neck. The short hairs there were very soft and he petted them, liking the feeling of it against the pads of his fingers. Bel cautiously relaxed again. Hidden eyes were on Fran's face, watching him.

Fran shifted his weight onto his toes and leant up. Bel went stock-still, clearly shocked. With a laborious effort, the illusionist let his expression relax and his lips curl slightly, slowly, and then he initiated a kiss with his sempai for the first time.

Bel exhaled roughly through his nose. It made his breath brush against his kouhai's cheek. Fran was enveloped in warmth when toned arms wrapped around him tightly and hugged him close.

He let his jade eyes close and experimentally slumped against his sempai's body, trying to relieve the endless stress he felt. The arms around him tightened their grip immediately, holding him up effortlessly but, more importantly, like it was a natural thing to do. Like he _wanted_ to do it.

Fran's lips curled a little more this time, just a little and he pressed closer, trying to accept the warmth Bel gave him.

Obviously, Bel had no qualms about giving him some more.

* * *

Hours later, when Fran and his sempai were lounging side by side on the comfortable, overly luxurious couch, things were looking up. (Fran decided absentmindedly that the cleaning people did a really good, but also very mysterious job on the very high ceiling.) The atmosphere had lightened a great deal.

One of Bel's hands was brushing through his hair, the repeated back and forth motions alternating with little scratches that almost made Fran purr out loud. They sat slumped on the cushions facing each other, legs comfortably intertwined. Fran's hand was cosily interlocked with Bel's other hand, resting in the blonde man's lap.

'You know…'

His sempai muttered, voice a little sleepy as they were both nodding off a little. Fran turned his eyes to look at his face, hmmf-ing softly to indicate he was listening.

'All you ever had to do was tell me what you wanted…'

He trailed off, shifting his blonde head on the backrest for a more comfortable position.

The illusionist was wide awake in an instant. The mention of their recent conversation brought back memories of anxiety, hope and some relief.

He was still uncomfortable with the subjects of his thoughts in that moment, pressed up against the wall, and he hadn't told Bel about it either. He knew the prince had wanted to know- he just hadn't felt comfortable or secure enough to tell him. Actually, not much had been said. Conversation was a big word for what they'd been doing. But things had changed, for the better.

Fran's decision to go with it and screw the consequences had allowed him to relax a great deal and it had, somehow, turned the entire situation around. Bel had picked up on it or something, because from that moment on he seemed to have _changed_ somehow and barely anything about him had been as frightening anymore. It was weird. Fran didn't understand, but once again; it was a good thing so he didn't try to analyze it. He could think about it later if it turned out to be trouble.

Maybe it was just because Fran's own perception had been coloured by less fears from then on.

Bel's random remark however, had sounded an awful lot like the possible beginning of an explanation and Fran was more than eager for some of _that_.

A soft, amused chuckle flitted through the air, probably because of the face he was making.

'I always knew you wanted it… I just didn't know why you were being so stubborn. The frustration…' It seemed like Bel didn't want to say something, was hesitating, '…pissed me off.' He said it almost lightly. There was a tense undertone in his voice, but the illusionist couldn't decipher what that was.

'All you had to do was ask…'

Fran openly stared at him. He tried to fit those words into the reality he thought he knew.

_Really? I mean… really? Could something be that simple? If I stop denying him, and I know I can because I know I really do want him…then I can… decide what happens to me? What he does to me?_

'_Ushishishi_.'

_I can be safe after all?_

Slowly, Fran relaxed into the cushions again, focussing on the gentle fingers on his scalp.

All he had to do was ask… Hmm. So Bel wouldn't force anything onto him anymore, simply because he'd accepted his own desire for the man? Well, he could try to see if that was true. But if that was so, then that had to mean that the only reason the older teen had even treated him as such, was… _because_ Fran wasn't accepting him. That was the reason? That was the _only_ reason?

...That would mean that Bel wanted Fran to _accept_ him…

…What exactly did that mean…

If so, sempai really sucked at persuasion. He needed new methods. Fran should probably discuss such better methods with him, some time.

Well, if it was true, then that made his remaining difficulties a lot easier. Made thing far less risky. And easier to understand as well, since Fran especially knew his sempai's temper very well.

'You're really dumb, sempai.'

'O-Oi!'

Fran grinned playfully at him (a near Herculean effort), scrunching his face a little when Bel tugged on a strand of his hair. The prince, no longer so dark and threatening to Fran (though he was still unsure about the exact causes of that change), seemed to be caught between indignance and amusement but leaning more towards the latter. Thankfully.

Bel huffed and tugged on the mossy strand once more before returning to his petting/scalp massage.

Fran openly made a purring noise this time, pushing the limits of his courage to see what his sempai would do.

The blonde paused for about half a second and Fran knew he was quickly figuring out his motives again. It was a bit annoying that he did that, especially that he did it so easily. But, since it had only made things better before, Fran decided he didn't mind so much and waited for his reaction.

A wide smirking grin split Bel's face and he continued what he was doing. He was clearly putting in more effort than before. The jade-eyed man let out a smile as well, feeling his chest constrict with anxiety at the unguarded emotion but not letting it stop him. So far, Bel had been responding well to all his little purposeful slip-ups. So hopefully that would stay that way.

The older teen shifted closer, his thumb stroking the hand that was resting on his thigh. Fran felt the soft press of his nose against his cheek and then even softer lips and swallowed, feeling a different kind of pressure on his chest now. He could feel his face grow warm and decided not to do anything about it; no illusion or turning away his head. The nerves in his stomach weren't very uncomfortable, just a little. Not enough to make him want to stop trying to open up.

'_Ushishishi_, You're smile is very pretty, froggy.'

The heat in his cheeks multiplied at least tenfold and he turned his face away after all, reflexively.

'S-Sempai, shut it.'

The blond giggled, clearly satisfied with this response. He crawled even closer, making their bodies press together so Fran couldn't worm his way out of their comfortable bubble. He wasn't deterred when the smaller male turned away as far as he could and persisted since he detected the playfulness in the gesture.

Bel knew Fran wasn't entirely pleased with how easily he could read his kouhai, but it was the easiest way to work with whatever was going on in his head, since he wasn't particularly inclined to tell the prince what he thought. For some weird reason that he had yet to figure out.

Fran let himself be cuddled, pretending not to care while his sempai wrapped himself around his smaller frame. He probably gave himself away when he relaxed into those toned arms though, but he didn't care.

Something suddenly came to Fran then. He blinked slowly and smiled faintly.

'Hey sempai.'

Bel hummed into his hair, stroking the palm of his hand up and down Fran's arm contently.

'Aren't you supposed to be in the province of Macerata right now?'

Bel went still around him. Fran's lips pulled further and further up into a smile while his sempai breathed a couple of Italian expletives behind his head before slowly untangling himself from the illusionist. Fran turned around to face him, enjoying the 'oh, shit' look on the other's face.

'Errr, I really am. Ehh…'

He seemed reluctant to leave and Fran's stomach filled with hopeful butterflies. Was it because of him? He tried to suppress the feeling; what if it wasn't?

But Bel leant forward, kissed him softly on the lips and brushed their noses together before pulling back.

'The prince will be back by tomorrow evening. _Ushishishi_, be waiting for me in the royal bedchambers~'

It took Fran a few seconds to grasp the meaning of the second sentence, after he was done deducing that Bel had indeed never bothered to inform him of his movements before. So it wasn't until the blonde had already squeezed his hand and sped off (taking a detour out the window so he wouldn't come near the boss's office) that a furious blush painted his face bright red. Fran was halfway through yelling at his sempai, but stopped since he was probably already half a mile away and that would only attract unwanted attention from other Varia members.

A little dazed, Fran sank back into the cushions. He blinked slowly, adjusting to the sudden absence of the blonde prince. The room was still dark, only much dark_er_, since it was now somewhere near midnight and they hadn't cared about turning a light on. The furniture was shrouded in shadows. As was the whole room. Fran hadn't noticed when Bel was sitting next to him, but now it seemed a bit empty.

A lot empty.

And kinda cold. Fran sighed. He considered going to his own room, but the thought that he would have to get up first made him decide to stay. The plush fabric of the couch's cushions was good for snuggling, so he did just that.

Wouldn't it be nice if he could stay here for a few days? The other officers didn't seem to come here often, so it would be nicely peaceful. If boss (or more likely, the stupid long-haired commander) didn't decide to throw a fit over his absence for a mission Fran wasn't informed of, anyway.

Wait.

Huh?

Did he just have the equivalent of a "quiet night in" with his sempai? With Bel-sempai?

…_I guess I did_. _Huh_.

Fran curled up on the couch, grabbing one of the pillows to cover his face with. It was perfect for hiding his guilty, wide glowing smile.

…_He gave me permission to enter his "royal bedchambers", huh?_

Maybe it would be nice to go there.

…Nah. He would have to get up first.

…

'…'

On the other hand…

_3 minutes later, in Bel's bedroom_

The richly decorated interior that was filled with deep reds, almost-but-thankfully-not-posh gold and white marble and darkly varnished wooden furniture, was completely wasted on Fran. He was laying face-down on his sempai's king-sized bed, spread-eagled, fully clothed and fast asleep. Bel's scent was everywhere in this room and the familiarity, coupled with the knowledge that there was not a single soul besides himself now and Bel-sempai that would ever enter here, had lulled his tired mind into a deep sleep instantly.

_5 hours later, in Bel's bedroom_

Fran was still sleeping soundly on top of the sheets. While sleeping, he had pulled one of Bel's many pillows closer and curled around it. There was a suspiciously large amount of pillows on Bel's bed. Some might even be called cushions.

_3 hours after that, still in Bel's bedroom_

…Fran was still sleeping. It was the first time in many, many months that he'd felt this relaxed. Or relaxed at all, really. So his body immediately seized the opportunity to stock up on hours of sleep now that his mind was finally letting him.

The pillow he was holding in a death grip was suspiciously damp in some places. Especially the ones near his mouth.

_5 hours after that, in the Varia officer's dining room_

'VRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AIIII! Where is that rookie?! He already missed breakfast and lunch! Did Bel kill him or something?'

_On the other side of the mansion, Fran sneezed in his sleep and turned onto his other side peacefully._

The Varia officers minus Bel and Fran were seated at the dining table, having just finished lunch. Obviously, Fran's unaccounted-for absence had been noticed.

'Oooh, if that's so, we're not gonna go back to France again, riiiight~ ~?'

Lussuria exclaimed hopefully, clapping his hands to his cheek and trying to look cute. Everyone twitched and looked the other way not-so-discreetly. Squalo cleared his throat noisily to distract himself from the sight.

'…uhh, let's just find the brat.'

Lussuria pouted and sat back in his chair, resting his chin on his hands.

'Who cares about that disrespectful brat! We should have let Bel kill him from the start!'

A wineglass shattered on Levi's temple, drenching the man in the dark red liquid. He yelped and turned to his boss, mouth open wide in pained shock and eyes pleading for forgiveness.

'Shut up, trash.'

…and he was ignored. Squalo stifled his snickers and covered it by roaring at their Sun guardian, not caring about the sharp glare that was coming his way from the opposite end of the table.

'Vraaai, go find the little brat, Lussuria!'

The martial artist pouted some more and complained, but quickly left the dining room; Xanxus' hand, complete with a new, full wineglass, had been poised ready for attack.

_Half an hour later, at a health spa_

'Ohohoho!'

Because no way was Luss going to spend his precious time searching for lost rookie-officers that insulted his fashion sense.

_10 minutes after that (around 13.30), Bel's bedroom_

Fran stared at his reflection without blinking. His eyes were a little poofy from the long, revitalising sleep he'd had, but the dried trails of drool were already wiped off with a small towel. Its colour had been disturbingly similar to that of blood.

There was a lot of white foam around his mouth, but that was just because he was a messy tooth brusher. His sempai's toothpaste tasted pretty okay. Minty. Standard. Fran had been expecting something more pointedly royal (strawberry), but was sadly disappointed.

He wondered what time it was and his stomach, starved for about 19 hours straight, gave its opinion by rumbling loudly.

_Eating-time, then._

At a leisurely pace, the bite-sized illusionist finished his morning routine (even though it wasn't exactly morning) and wandered out of the "royal bedchambers". Not forgetting to close the door behind him, of course. His sempai apparently didn't bother with locking his door, but on the other hand; no-one was really stupid enough to try and enter there.

Well, not without his permission.

Or a death wish, that usually worked just fine too. Bel might even like you a little for that.

The nearest location where food could be got, was only a few hallways away and that was where Fran was headed. A long time ago, Bel had complained about having to cross half the mansion when he wanted a midnight-snack and consequently demanded a private kitchen, complete with a staff who were to be employed 24/7. He'd been ignored.

After getting all the staff that was related to food-issues to go on strike until he got what he wanted, which had resulted in Xanxus personally getting meat-deprived, Squalo had assigned one of the empty rooms near Bel's to be his personal mini-warehouse (that was still the size of some people's homes, but okay). It had been the self-preserving thing to do, the fastest way out of that mess.

That wasn't to say that Squalo hadn't gotten his thorough revenge on the princeling, but Bel healed pretty quickly and he still got his snacks nearby.

He didn't heal as quickly when he smirked an "I win" at the long-haired commander some time after his recovery though, so the usual hierarchy remained in place.

Fran didn't care about this, but thought it was pretty hilarious how Bel got himself beat up all the time and was too much of a pussy to take Squalo or the boss on head-on. Why else would he indirectly piss the boss off (who was the only one Squalo would need to change tactics for), with several unfortunate innocent victims between him and the boss's rage (the staff members that Bel had, of course, effortlessly harassed into going on strike). Yeah, boss hadn't found out until afterwards that Bel had been the one to render him meat-deprived (simply because he couldn't care enough to look into the matter himself, and Squalo hadn't been stupid enough to tell him), which was the only reason he wasn't fried-fake-prince-stew now: since the matter had already been solved by then and Squalo was already beating Bel back into his place, Xanxus couldn't be bothered anymore.

_Anyway… _

The door was locked. Fran frowned.

_Tch… Stupid sempai, you don't lock the room you sleep in, but you'll lock your food-supply room?_

Still a little drowsy (as stated before, it had been the first good sleep he'd had in a long time), Fran yawned quietly and shook the frog-hat off his head (Bel was out, hat was off). Lazily, but with a lot of flair and coolness of course, he punched his arms over his head (also half-assed, he was sleepy) then spread them out to the sides. He punched his knuckles together, and then he realized he'd forgotten to put his ring on his finger or to get a box weapon out.

Sighing, he turned and went back to his sempai's room, where his coat was.

…_just one minute later…_

A dribble of drool slipped down from Fran's open mouth. A soft snore disturbed the silence in the room.

Rumbling tummy vs. sleep-deprived body: 0-1.

* * *

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

Next chapter you'll find out Bel's side of the story! Well, no… part of it. :)

Please tell me what you think of this, it's mah baby and mah big-ass project. 62 pages and counting! It isn't finished yet. Anyway, I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! It's really different from my usual B26 stories, in my opinion, so I would love to hear what you guys think about this!

. I'm really happy about finally posting this! I've been keeping it in secret for months, not sure when I started with this, kind of wanting to finish it and polish it before posting. But I have it the way I want it, at least for now. SO. :D I hope you guys enjoyed this and want more! :D

-CHEERS! Dirkje (vet happy A/N after drama angst story XD)


	2. Chapter 2

To be honest, this story is scaring me. Because it's so unhealthy? Though I'm trying to run it into a healthy, good, getting better and going to be fine direction (but _will_ it run in that direction? *smirk*), the whole, psycho-assassins thing is freaking me out. Yeah. But it's such a cool story, so I like writing it, haha.

Please enjoy, this is for all the people who loved the first chapter and wanted more, and for everyone who'll like it now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn nor any of its affiliated things. Byebye.

* * *

Chapter 2

_-Italy, the province of Macerata, city of Recanati, around 16.30…-_

Bel was whistling a high, disturbing little melody as he triumphantly strode through the backstreets of Recanati, a spring in his steps. He was in a good mood. In fact, he was in a _radiant_ mood. The past 24 hours had been _great_; he'd gotten through to his froggy, he'd gotten away from the mansion without getting shot for being tardy and he'd gotten to kill quite a bit not so long ago.

His life was perfect. As it should be, of course.

The sun was lowering, casting fiery orange hues all over the stone buildings and cobblestone street. Bel liked it when the sun made the world look like this. All warm and cosy, no matter how barren the surroundings were. Or how cold. It was December and the days were short and chilly, but Bel didn't mind. He liked this kind of weather. It was easier to dress for than the hot, sweltering heat of the Italian summer.

The blonde absentmindedly shook some drops of blood off his hand as he walked. The block up ahead was part of the less shady parts of this town. Bel's destination lay in that direction, nearer to the bustling centre.

He hadn't gotten this job done so quickly for no reason, after all.

He was still wearing the all black outfit of his night-time op, which was for the best, because it made the stains less noticeable. The mission, of which only the _start_ had been during the night, had lasted into the late afternoon, but that was fine. Bel didn't generally mind it when killing took up his time, but he'd taken special care to be faster than usual, just this once. It was a first for him, so it had been fun to try out.

The streetlights were flickering to life around him. More and more people filled the streets while he got closer to the shopping district. Unlikely as it may seem, Bel was exceptionally good at blending in.

When he was trying.

Which he wasn't.

Most of the passersby didn't notice the wet patches in his clothes and didn't look for long enough to notice the sharp edge to his smirk, didn't take long enough passing him by to smell the coppery tang in the air, but every now and again the assassin would be entertained with a startled exclamation or suddenly dropped shopping bags. He snickered to himself, amused, while scanning the surrounding shops. The real centre was still a few blocks away and these streets were lined with small boutiques and unique little shops. The atmosphere here was peaceful, the people amiable and it was exactly what he had been looking for.

These boutiques weren't located in the shopping centre, but they were actually the more "elite" ones. They sold things that were _actually_ one of a kind, like long forgotten heirlooms or little trinkets that had survived generations of families before being sold to one of the owners of these shops. Usually things from passed centuries, or of a particularly fine make, treasured until they lost their emotional value or until the need for money became too great to keep it. Bel had known he could find these here. He'd been in this area before, on a different mission, and had been scouting around for lack of anything better to do then.

It didn't take him a long time to find a shop that caught his interest; he knew exactly what he was looking for.

Bel was the kind of guy who liked to celebrate when he felt he had something to celebrate. Which made perfect sense. So, since his night/day had been so awesome and the killing was a reward in itself, the prince wanted to spend some money and surprise his froggy. He wondered what Fran's beautiful face would look like when he did.

_Is froggy gonna be waiting for me in my room?_

It would be adorable if he did find Fran there when he returned, but he wouldn't mind it if he didn't either. That would mean he'd get to chase his froggy~

A bell jingled above the assassin's head when he entered the quaint boutique. Through the shop window, the interior of the small antique store had caught his eye with its burgundy reds and rich dark blues.

Bel had a thing for certain colours.

The items on display were a varied assortment of paraphernalia; there were intricately designed bits and pieces of jewellery, some made out of expensive material but also a couple that seemed to be fashioned out of simple rocks and wood, carved and cut and polished into smooth lines. There didn't seem to be a sort of order in the way they were displayed. Glinting metal was laying right next to small bits of… edible stuff, Bel deduced. Some of those were packed in multi-coloured foil like bonbons, others were showing off their rich chocolaty colour. Whatever the nature of the item, everything in the boutique was different from the rest, unlike what could be found in the busy shopping malls a few streets farther.

There was no-one else in the store, no customers, but no salesperson either. Bel shrugged and continued his examination of the items. The lighting in the shop made all the items look eye-catching, even if they turned out to be nothing special on closer inspection. There were plenty of things that Bel liked (which actually didn't happen often, he was rather picky with a particular taste), but they weren't what he was looking for so he left them be for the moment.

He was looking for greens right now. Beautiful greens, emeralds, jades, teals, the ones that made him think of his kouhai. He wouldn't go so far as to buy something frog-like, though. Well, not now, because he didn't feel like it. He was looking for something more…

Something glinted at him about a feet from where he was studying a simple, deep red stone, carved into the shape of a single, elegant droplet.

…something more elegant. Something that suited the flighty nature of the Mist wielder, the way he flitted about along the outskirts of battle without ever truly engaging. It pissed Bel off when he did that, sure, but it was also kinda… kinda…

Chase worthy.

It made Fran a person Bel would have to hunt down with true effort, figuring out the steps to his dance before he could even try to join him in it. He would have to study his kouhai intently, watch him for awhile while lagging behind and following his own pattern, so he didn't get tangled up in the froggy's net. And then, when he had it all figured out, he would start tiptoeing along the edges of his dance, catching the frog's attention, making him wonder what he was doing and how much he'd already figured out. Fran would keep an eye on him from then on and every now and again, Bel would twirl forward and back again whenever he saw an opportunity, never letting on just how well he'd learned the steps. Only challenging him, taunting him, luring him.

Bel didn't see what he was looking at while thinking about this. The thought of dancing with his froggy, luring him out of his shell and making him engage with him... The blonde bit his bottom lip, eyes glassy behind his fringe. Eventually, he'd fully join Fran's dance and his kouhai would choose to dance with him, he would simply have to because he'd know that Bel understood the steps…

'_Ushishishishi…_'

A dopey grin was spread wide over his face and he was still staring at nothing, images of what he imagined Fran would look like if he finally decided to truly fight the prince on his mind.

_Aaah… Ushishishi, he would be so beautiful…_

Wouldn't he be glorious…

Flashes of Fran on a rampage, with his elusive style and straight to the point attitude, lashing out at Bel in a rhythm he only had a chance at anticipating because he'd spent so much time watching him. And still he would be surprised by the things his kouhai would come up with, no doubt. Their dance would be _fantastic_…

He only snapped out of it when someone moved in the backroom. The presence he sensed was moving closer, towards the store part of the building.

'Hmm…'

Bel returned his attention to the stuff that was for sale, remembering the thing that had been glinting at him earlier. He ignored the salesman who'd walked in, waved him off when he offered his help and continued his study of the pretty objects.

Finally, some greens. There was a slender dragonfly with emerald wings, but the golden frame was too posh. There were some odd chunks of silver merged with a sparkling deep green stone, without any discernible design. Those were pretty.

Bel took a closer look at an item on the same shelf.

It wasn't silver. It was some kind of metal he didn't know that had been polished until it shone just like silver, crafted into a flowing, smooth band. He recognized it because it was like his knives; they weren't actual silver either, the soft metal wasn't compatible with his style of fighting. They would break or bend, in any case they would not be effective.

The three strands that made up the broad band had been made to look just like the stems of a plant, with small leaves attached that laid on top of them and followed the curves of the band. The small round leaves with their tips sharpened into a point, were outlined by the same mysterious metal. They were filled with that sparkling green stone. Bel could stare into that colour and not see the bottom, like a murky green forest pond.

The green and silvery grey looked very pretty together and the elegant shape appealed to him. So much so, that Bel picked it up, weighing it in the palm of his hand. The salesman hastened towards him, crossing the borders of his personal space and keeping a keen eye on the metal band.

Pricey, maybe? Probably, in this area of town.

Bel's thoughtful smirk sharpened into something dangerously playful and he turned his face to the brunet, a few inches taller than the blonde.

The youthful man, wearing a pair of glasses that seemed ancient in style but strangely enough fit him perfectly, didn't seem to catch what his smirk meant for his future health. He looked to be somewhere in his late twenties. The salesman adjusted his glasses and smiled at him with an air of timid enthusiasm.

'That's a fine piece, sir. You've got an eye for it!'

His voice was the exact copy of his smile. He was looking slightly down at Bel due to the difference in height, but that's not what his attitude was doing. He was like a puppy, hoping Bel would share his enthusiasm.

Bel didn't really like mutts.

'_Ushishishi_.'

The man blinked, leant back a bit and tilted his head curiously. He didn't seem all too perturbed by the sound of his laughter though, and that was more than Bel could say for the mafia underboss he'd killed that afternoon. The brunet didn't even seem to notice the coppery scent of blood, or the state his clothes were in. Only bloodied, not ripped, because no-one could lay a finger on the prince in battle~

'What metal is this, peasant?'

Another curious blink, but nothing more. The puppy-man adjusted his glasses again and smiled a little broader, obviously happy that he got to elaborate.

'It's a mix of several different metals, sir. …I'll save you the specifics of their names and the more elaborate details of their properties,'

He looked a little disappointed about that, but Bel refused to give an indication of wanting to hear it,

'But they were picked for their hardiness and their resistance to heat. It's a combination that must have taken days to forge, and it was forged centuries ago, by the-'

The man interrupted himself with a cough, clearly picking up on the assassin's impatient vibes. He blushed a little, glanced away and then back at the ring in Bel's hand.

'A-Anyway. It was forged a little over two centuries ago by a smith who mostly made armours and weaponry. Ah, uhm, he preferred to use such sturdy metals even for a ring, so that they could be worn on the battlefield. The design is nothing like what you'd usually expect from a blacksmith, but he was obviously skilled at the finer aspects of crafting as well.'

_Well, that's handy._

Bel tilted his head and looked at the ring some more, holding it up against one of the small, dimmed spots. Sturdiness was definitely a plus. So both elegant and strong, huh? Reminded him of someone he knew~ His smirk widened.

'Do you have more like this one?'

The brunet grinned and quickly went around the shop, collecting a few more items. Some looked as elegant as the ring he was holding, but among the rest he recognized the items that he'd spotted upon entering, the ones he'd thought were made out of regular rock.

'They're all made of a combination of metals that is roughly the same to the one you're holding. The difference in appearance is caused by de method that were used to finish them.'

The man told him excitedly, showing him the five objects in his hands.

But they didn't look the slightest bit like something he wanted, so he turned his head away disinterestedly and admired what he'd already decided to take with him. The salesman got the non-too-subtle hint, because he cleared his throat awkwardly and hurried to put all the items back in their place.

The blonde assassin turned around for the first time and addressed the brunet directly.

'_Ushishishi_. I want this one.'

The puppy-man nodded quickly and beamed at him, almost skipping towards the cash register. Bel cocked his head and regarded him with an air of superiority, wondering how uncomfortable he could make him feel without putting in any effort.

The man stared at him expectantly, clearly waiting for him to come closer so he wouldn't have to raise his voice to inform him of the price (that might have been perceived as rude, after all). Bel could practically see a fluffy tail wagging, but no awkwardness.

_Shishi, strange guy._

Then again, Bel got tingly feelings when watching gory horror movies, so maybe he wasn't really one to judge.

Hmmm, gory horror movies…

Anyway! Bel had been planning to spend money from the beginning, so he wasn't going to steal this thing. Plus, he liked this shop and the guy was funny, so maybe he'd come back sometime. (So he decided against burning it down.)

'That will be ah, 1200 Euros.'

For a supposedly centuries old ring of this supposed quality, in this town and this sort of boutique, that wasn't necessarily expensive. Bel tilted his head. The brunet wasn't trying to con him, he could tell. The way he behaved wasn't an act and the man sincerely thought he was asking for too much.

Bel snickered as he stepped forward, fishing a credit card out of his pocket, the only thing besides his weapons that he'd taken along.

'Are you the owner of this stop?'

'Ah, yes I am!'

He smiled bashfully and adjusted his glasses, looking supremely happy. Bel felt a pang of _something_ in his chest and smirked wryly, showing the man his card wordlessly to signal he wasn't going to pay in cash (Duhh.). While the puppy-man bustled about busily to get things set up so he could pay, Bel let his gaze slide through the boutique one more time. This peasant seemed to overflow with happiness from being able to own this, this small building blocks away from the wealthy, high-society centre (though this was the more classy part of town). Not a whole lot of people probably came here or even knew this person well and yet, he looked like he had everything he could possibly want out of life.

It looked so simple. How could something so simple make a person so wholly happy? He didn't get the impression that there was anyone or -thing the brunet was doing it _for_, someone whose approval he was striving for. Or some goal he'd reached that made him consider himself successful enough to last him his lifetime. Just… happy. Content with… what he wanted. Clearly, it was something he had wanted and then had worked to get. At least to Bel it seemed that would be the way for such a thing to go.

…_Hm_.

Bel quickly paid when the puppy-man was ready, but had to wait a little longer when he accepted his offer for a small box to transport the ring in. When that too was settled, the blonde man sped out of the shop, throwing an absentminded 'Ciao,' over his shoulder in response to the salesman's goodbye.

7 blocks later, at a safe distance from the suddenly chokingly tight atmosphere in the boutique, Bel slowed down from his run. The small box with the ring inside sat safely in his hand. He stared at it for a while, not watching where he was going but not particularly needing to either.

He pictured his kouhai's face as he stared at the black jewellery box. The mossy green of his hair, the glittering jade of his eyes and the pale pink of his lips… The overwhelming fright in Fran's beautiful eyes those times when he didn't understand what Bel was doing, the warm amusement when he allowed Bel to see it. Emotion, even the slightest bit of it, did the most beautiful things to Fran's face. When it was a good one, a warm one, it was just…

Bel sighed heavily and his shoulders slumped, his eyes closed and his lips curling back up slightly.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

_Varia headquarters, Xanxus' office, around 18.00..._

'VRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! WHERE THE FUCK ARE THOSE TWO?!'

Squalo roared, waving his sword around in an attempt to work off some steam lest he kill another innocently by-standing grunt. Two of his officers were off somewhere and he was getting tired of their inefficiency. Bel's absence was accounted for, but he was kind of expected to be back by now. Killing never took him a long time. Well… well. Not this sort of assignment, anyway.

Xanxus levelled him with another scalding glare from behind his rather large, mahogany desk, having to look around his propped up booted feet to do so. His second-in-command was pacing to and fro like a madman (how fitting) and raving on and on about the absence of two other, more annoying pieces of trash. Fran didn't bother him so much, but was still annoying, despite how he was smart enough to never insult Xanxus to his face.

Truthfully, he didn't mind that they were gone for a while. It had been quite peaceful, but then Squalo barged in and started ranting about it loudly. Xanxus didn't get why he wanted them back so badly.

'Shut up, trash.' He commented lazily when Squalo took a breath in between shouts. The swordsman growled a low 'vooooi' at him, but pretty much did as he was told for a short while.

'Vooi, stupid boss, don't you want to know where the fuck they are so we can send them on that fucking mission?'

Xanxus tipped his head back against his chair, that was miraculouly reminiscent of a throne. Its size certainly suited that of the ridiculously large desk.

'No.'

He supplied honestly. He heard Squalo splutter and saw the tip of a sword flailing up in the bottom of his line of vision. A slow smirk crawled onto his lips. When he wasn't making his ears ring, the man was fairly amusing. He shifted his weight into a more comfortable slouch on the royal red upholstery of his chair and locked his eyes onto the hard grey ones of his right hand man.

'Get the fucking food ready.'

As predicted and expected, Squalo blew up in another ear-shatteringly loud tirade on how he wasn't his cook, nor his fucking wife, darnit. Xanxus relaxed and closed his eyes, enjoying the entertainment.

_In the meantime; Varia headquarters, at the balcony attached to the Storm officer's bedroom…_

Bel knew for a fact that his own grin had never been this wide or even quite as gleeful before. The high doors that led from his bedroom to the balcony were almost completely made out of glass and through them the young prince could easily make out the form of his froggy kouhai. Laying spread-eagled on his more than king-sized bed.

'_Ushishishi!_'

He couldn't quite contain his happy giggle, almost bursting with the anticipation of what would happen once he'd entered and alerted Fran to his presence.

Bel was inside within two seconds, the door clicking closed quietly behind him. The crimson red of his sheets contrasted quite nicely with the jade of Fran's hair and the older teen's stomach briefly spun, filled with excited butterflies at the breathtaking sight.

Yeah, he had a serious thing for certain colours.

Seeing them put together like that was amazing. He laughed softly again, happily and realized his kouhai was fast asleep, noticing the trails of dried drool on his chin and cheeks with an amused grin.

'There's a froggy in my bed~'

He sang softly, careful not to be so loud as to wake him up. That would spoil his fun~

Bel walked backwards into his bathroom, keeping his eyes on his kouhai. Once Fran was out of his sight, he turned and stripped out of his soiled clothes, dumping them in a corner without a care. Only the black skinny jeans were treated with more care, but that only lasted until the small black box had been safely retrieved from one of its pockets. With a small towel and lots of hot water, Bel quickly and quietly washed all the grime off, meticulously cleaning a few locks of his blonde hair.

As freshly cleaned as he'd get within five minutes and stark naked, the proud prince walked back into his room. Fran was still dead to the world.

A tall, luxurious wooden wardrobe in the left corner of Bel's bedroom was filled with all sorts of clothes. Many thereof were long, striped shirts; the ones he usually wore with his uniform. But there were dress shirts, jackets, ripped t-shirts and shirts without tears, too, along with leather pants (both standard uniform and casual ones), skinny jeans, a couple of knee length shorts and some that reached his mid-calf when he wore them. It's not like Bel never wore anything beside his regular uniform.

Bel threw on nothing but a pair of loose shorts and a comfortable royal grey hoodie. He turned around.

One of Fran's hands was dangling over the edge of the bed. His uniform coat was hanging over the back of Bel's throne-like chair that was sitting in front of his elegantly carved and ridiculously heavy ebony desk. The navy-blue turtleneck Fran always wore under that coat was rumpled and had ridden up past his pale hipbone, calling a sharp contrast into existence. His sleeping face was lax, completely relaxed, his lips slightly parted while he breathed through his nose shallowly.

Bel slinked towards him. His bare feet made no sound on the carpeted floor. The dextrous assassin had mastered the arts of stealth a very long time ago, so it really didn't matter what he was walking on anyway. It was one of the great perks of a natural assassin.

He could hear Fran's light breaths and felt a soft shudder ripple down his spine. He crouched next to the teal-haired boy and reached out a hand. The mossy locks were, as usual, tantalizingly soft. Bel's gaze was pulled back along his kouhai's body, to that pale expanse of his flat tummy.

He couldn't help it. The sight of his froggy's skin just excited him. It was… he wasn't sure what it was.

Ah, wait, he did. It was all the excitement built up from the past day and night. Ah well. That was a lot easier to understand than what he'd been starting to think...

Fran's nose twitched a few times when Bel trailed his fingertips over his bare tummy, worshipping the fair skin. There was just something about being able to touch it that made it alluring to the blonde prince.

Okay, maybe it _was_ more than just pent up excitement.

Bel lightly scratched his nails over his kouhai's tummy and Fran murmured a small, protesting noise. The fairness of his skin was emphasized by the saturated hues of his hair and clothes and the blonde drank the sight in.

He drew his hand back and instead put it in his pocket, pulling out the small box. Anticipation built up in his stomach and he bounced on the balls of his feet, drawing out the moment a little longer. Then, with his smile splitting his face and showing off all his glimmering white teeth, Bel reached out and purposefully stroked Fran's face tenderly, brushing his thumb up from the corner of his mouth to his cheekbone. He made sure to make the touch heavy enough that it would rouse his kouhai from his slumber, relying on the illusionist's keen senses to do their job.

But Fran did not wake up.

Blinking in surprise, Bel tried again, stroking just a tad firmer. If he made an all too palpable move, Fran might respond instinctively and it was never a good idea to startle a sleeping illusionist into consciousness. Let alone one of Fran's calibre.

Fran inhaled audibly and moved his face closer to Bel. He gave off a content vibe now, so the blonde kept repeating the action, even though it didn't amount to the result he was after. Bel felt his grin soften into a smile as he watched the relaxing sight of his kouhai. He was sleeping so deeply… That was quite remarkable for a Varia assassin. Their training, but far more so their individual experiences in life, made them react to the presence of others whether they were conscious or not. All of the Varia officers would wake up as soon as someone entered the room or breached the perimeter that they'd subconsciously set up with their senses. Their senses easily picked up on a person's intent, especially when that intent concerned themselves and _especially_ when they were in a vulnerable state. Like _sleep_.

Bel wasn't bothering to hide his focus on his froggy and hadn'tbothered before either, so Fran really should have woken up the moment Bel caught sight of him from outside on the balcony.

But he hadn't.

Curious.

How tired was his froggy? Bel hummed thoughtfully and changed tactics.

Fran was breathing lightly, not moving as he lay in his now loosely curled up position. He'd shifted from his spread-eagled position while the prince was cleaning himself in the bathroom. Bel gently pushed at his shoulder, making him roll onto his back. Slowly and carefully, the blonde prince crept onto the bed, mindful of the illusionary madness his kouhai might unleash upon him if he suddenly did decide to wake up. He hovered over the much smaller form on all fours, not touching him. The little jewellery box was placed on one of the many pillows on Bel's bed, a faded golden one, far enough away that it wouldn't fall and disappear somewhere between the covers.

Bel breathed deeply and sighed out. He so loved to study his froggy up close. He was so breathtakingly beautiful that the prince could keep it up all day. Would too, if he could get froggy to stay within his sight no matter what. Oh, if he could laze around with Fran peacefully, without any loud colleagues yelling or demanding his absence…

Right now he could focus on something more active with his froggy. He licked his lips and leant down, bringing his face close to Fran's pale one. Before doing anything more, he chuckled without a sound and brought his sleeve to his kouhai's chin, carefully rubbing at the dried drool. He didn't care for it much though, since he wanted his froggy no matter what he was covered in, so he soon abandoned that endeavour and leant in farther.

Bel smoothed his lips over the pale pink ones and applied a tiny bit of pressure, thinking such an act would surely alert him. But it didn't. He breathed deeply, enjoying how close they were. Then he pressed his lips more firmly against the only other pair in the world that he desired and gave Fran a chaste kiss. The younger teen still didn't give any indication of being aware of his presence. With butterflies flittering about in his tummy and common, gruesome death-fearing sense overruled, Bel pressed closer and at once strengthened the kiss. His own eyes fluttered closed at the almost familiar feeling. It was too warm, too intoxicating and he couldn't resist; he caressed his froggy's lips with his tongue and when they parted on a soft sigh, he pressed in between those lips and sought out the sweetness he knew. (Bel didn't give a single fuck in the world that Fran was currently having the worst possible case of morning breath; Fran was Fran and that was that.)

Fran made a sleepy noise, but didn't wake up just yet. He was still in that dream state, drifting in his subconscious. He felt comfortable and Bel was making it even better, despite the fact that he wasn't consciously aware of what was going on.

Bel, in the mean time, was nearly strangling the crimson covers in an attempt to keep himself from going wild on his dear froggy. He'd clearly underestimated his own desire, if not overestimated his self-control. His froggy tasted so sweet, so unique, so…

So Fran-ish.

And he'd been waiting for this with increasing impatience since the moment he'd left.

His knuckles turned white from the force he was putting behind his grip on the covers. He didn't want to wake his frog by ravaging him like a madman, he just wanted to make him smile and taste him a little.

It would be a great help if Fran would just _wake up_ now.

On the other hand, Bel was experiencing how well he could control himself if he really wanted to, even though it was incredibly hard. A good lesson and now he'd learnt, so Fran could wake up now. Really.

Fran did not wake up. He did make another sleepy noise, this one sounding a little more about-to-wake-up-ish than the last. Bel's thorough kiss was slowly but surely getting through to his consciousness.

Bel couldn't quite help himself; the pressure in his chest built up high and he groaned quietly, licking the inside of his kouhai's mouth lovingly.

The blonde prince himself wasn't _entirely_ aware of the feelings he had for his froggy. He knew Fran was dear to him, because the idiot-frog had one time faked his own, far too realistic (and gory) death during a mission to fool their target and his mini army. He hadn't known it was an illusion at the time and it had rather unexpectedly thrown him into a murderous rage like none before. It had also caused a pain on the _inside_ that he'd never felt before. Before that time, Bel hadn't even known he _could_ hurt like that without being attacked. Bel was also well aware that it was meaningful that only the sight of Fran could, and did, calm him down and made him feel at peace. He knew that had something to do with Fran being Fran; that no-one else had that effect on him nor probably would have.

The concept of love, however, had never been explained to him. Or more importantly, he'd never had an example of it. His birth family had not exactly been the loving kind and the Varia were very private about such things. Lussuria had tried to explain once, but Squalo hadn't thought that he (Squalo himself) would be able to bear it and had taken pre-emptive measures.

So Bel knew how he _felt_, knew that Fran meant more to him than anyone else did _and_ that there was more to that than he understood at the moment. He just didn't quite get _why_ he couldn't stand to see his froggy cry, or why he couldn't bring himself to stab him anywhere but in his large frog-hat and the safe, fleshy parts of his body. He didn't understand how his other feelings were connected to those.

But not knowing what it was didn't mean he couldn't act upon it.

In the meantime, Fran was _finally_ coming to, slowly becoming more and more aware of what was happening around and more importantly, _to_ him. A scent that was distantly familiar to him filled his nose pleasantly. Before he opened his jade eyes he already knew who it was who was kissing him so deeply, passionately. In his drowsy state, Fran marvelled at how calm he felt, completely void of any fright or surprise at the kiss he'd not given any permission for.

Maybe he was more comfortable with his sempai than he'd thought.

That wonder was soon pressed to the back of his mind when Bel made a soft noise, a whimper in the back of his throat. Fran opened his eyes fully and was met with a curtain of blonde hair. He could now sense the tension coming from his sempai, something that felt akin to desperation and it sparked concern within him.

Did something bad happen on Bel's mission?

Now fully awake, Fran tried to figure out a way to get his sempai to tell him what was wrong, but it was still hard for him to focus. Bel's kiss was rearranging Fran's priorities for him and anything rational was far down on the list. That warm tongue was exploring every single part of his mouth and Fran had always been rather susceptible to the prince's touches. The mess of thoughts in his head, questions as to what was going on, blurred and faded, replaced by warmth.

Bel had not realized Fran was awake. It was somewhat silly, because that had initially been what he was trying to do, but that was some time ago now. Instead, his attention was being taken up by his fight for self-control and the taste of his froggy's mouth.

He noticed though, when Fran started kissing him back.

Bel's hidden eyes snapped open but Fran's had just closed again. The fact that slim, pale hands were trailing up his sides and gripped his shoulders was a pretty dead giveaway, though. He let his eyes slide closed again and relaxed, reassured now that his froggy had woken.

Their kiss lasted a long time, both intoxicated by it. By the end of it both were out of breath, breathing hard to try and win back some air. Bel stroked a wayward strand of teal hair out of Fran's eyes and felt his lips quirk into a content smile. Fran was staring up at him, the look in his eyes was soft.

'Hey froggy.'

Fran's lips twitched. 'Hey stupid-sempai.'

Bel's eye twitched. He growled but it made Fran grin boyishly in one of his rare but increasing unguarded moments. His jade eyes sparkled with mischief and the little annoyance Bel had felt instantly evaporated.

His kouhai raised a hand to the prince's shoulder, gripping it lightly. Bel felt him stroke him through the thick grey hoodie and beamed naturally, feeling unusually warm.

'Ne, sempai…' Fran started, the look in his eyes changing to something more guarded. 'Did something happen?'

The tone of Fran's voice barely concealed his concern and Bel felt his heart trip over itself. It distracted him from the actual question, until he saw the illusionist's eyes narrow and felt the small form beneath his own start to give off un-relaxing vibes.

'Hmm? Ah, …'

Bel shifted his weight. His hands were becoming a little bloodless from the wrist down. Flashes of memories passed through his mind, the suddenly too-tight atmosphere in a curious boutique. He sighed.

'It's alright, froggy.' He could see Fran was about to open his mouth to protest and swiftly pecked those pale pink lips; an effectively executed pre-emptive manoeuvre. 'I've got everything I need now.' The younger teen looked confused, but Bel didn't want to give him time to question him. Instead he dove back in, sealing Fran's lips with his own to experience that bliss and peace of mind.

Normally, just the sight of Fran was enough to calm him.

But the look of simple, complete happiness over having nothing but having _everything_ he could possibly want _nothingnothingnothing, it was nothing_ lay fresh in his mind and was wringing his spine and heart into painfully braided iron _bars_ and it was-

-it was all he could do to keep from losing himself to it.

Fran was clearly a bit startled, but he responded and Bel couldn't help but feel that his froggy understood, not why, but _that_. That there was something wrong, that he needed him.

The tight iron braids loosened around his heart until it was comfortable. Bel let out a stuttering sigh through his mouth, against Fran's lips and kissed him again, deeply. Fran wrapped his arms around his shoulders and held him tight. It felt like an embrace, like he wasn't holding on so much as he was _holding_ him. Comforting him. Safe.

It was enough to finally let him break down.

Bel collapsed on top of Fran, desperately trying to keep kissing him, to hold on to that familiar warm feeling even as hot tears burnt tracks down his cheeks. Fran jolted when the first teardrops landed on his face, froze. But after a few seconds he strengthened his embrace and pulled Bel closer, put more attention into the kiss and helped him focus on it rather than on the pain in his heart.

With every tear his heart felt lighter, freer, and it became easier to breath. He trembled but didn't realize it, shook as all the regret and shame and guilt and _I will never accomplish enough, I will never be worthy, I'll never deserve to be happy, no-one wants me to, no-one wants me _washed through his heart and through him, out of him, farther and farther away. Fran threaded a hand through his hair, stroked another up and down his spine, held him warm and safe and close.

Bel cried and cried, wordlessly, and when he could no longer kiss Fran he sagged against him, buried his face in the covers above the boy's shoulder and sobbed, whined, cried out, shouted to get at least some of it out of his system. It wouldn't be gone completely from this, it would take more than that. But he could give it air and parts of it would leave, it would become easier to bear.

Fran was shocked and maybe even scared, but he didn't leave, embraced him and stayed right where he was.

_Mirror-images, accomplishments, failures, never good enough…_

It all went through Bel again, through his heart and his mind and he tried to push it out, gone, no longer did he need to remember what happened or what it felt like. The memories were tenacious and some of them wouldn't leave, but others did and the feelings were soothed enough to let him breathe.

It took a long while, but eventually his sorrow smoothed into round edges and his sobs were replaced by deep breaths and sighs, until his breathing eventually evened out. Fran stroked his back, his neck, his arms, everything he could comfortably reach, stroking firmly to let him know he was there. He understood pain well enough.

Bel heaved another shuddering sigh and worked himself up on his elbows, puffy- and red-eyed behind his blonde bangs. The look on Fran's face was a guarded one, filled with concern and Bel graced him with a watery smile, almost giddy with the relief of having gotten so much of the sadness and pain off of his chest.

Fran carefully spoke up, slowly. 'Are you feeling better now, sempai?'

Bel took a deep, deep breath, filling his lungs 'till they felt burstingly full then expelling it. He nodded, 'Yeah…' with a smile. His froggy smiled a small one back, looking relieved as well. Fran didn't understand but he didn't seem to mind that either, so the blonde left it at that. He didn't want to discuss this, since it might make his froggy think less of him and make things unnecessarily unhappy.

Bel snuggled into his froggy and nosed his smooth neck, feeling happier than he could remember with warm arms resting comfortingly against his back and Fran's quiet breathing tickling through his hair.

* * *

To Be Continued

* * *

Bel's specific issue shouldn't be clear to you as is- if it is that is fine, but I did not try to make it clear here, so if you don't get it that's fine.

See you in chapter 3~

~Cheers, Dirkje

Please review.


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